Price tag molding



g- 1966 A. w. CARPENTER 3,269,042

PRICE TAG MOLDING Filed July 21, 1964 I NVE NTOR.

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BY I v lffarney United States Patent 3,269,042 PRICE TAG MOLDENG ArcherW. Carpenter, Whittier, Calif, assignor of onehalf to Malcolm R. Speirs,Lakewood, Calif. Filed July 21, 1964, Ser. No. 384,186 8 Claims. (til.4010) I This invention relates generally to improvements in price tag orticket holders, and relates more particularly to improvements in shelfmolding type of price tag or ticket holders such as disclosed in myPatent No. 3,1 17,3 87 for Price Tag Holder, issued January 14, 1964.

While the invention has particular utility in connection with price tagmolding trim for attachment to the free edges of shelving and the like,and is shown and described in such connection, it is to be understoodthat its utility is not confined thereto.

In many stores, particularly those of the self-service type, merchandiseis display on shelves, counters, or the like, and prices are displayedby means of price tags aligned with the commodities on the shelves. Inshelf arrangements of this character it is customary to put the items ofmerchandise on display shelves with moldings that releasably hold theprice tags.

In molding of the character disclosed in said Patent No. 3,117,387 it isdesired to replace a price tag with another price tag, the latter isinserted in one end of a slot, preferably the upper end as it is mostconvenient. As the new tag is pushed into the respective part of the tagchamber the inner longitudinal edge thereof engages the upperlongitudinal edge of the tag to be replaced, and as the new tag ispushed further into the chamber the other or old tag is pushed out ofthe opposite or lower end of said chamber.

These price tags which are used in marking the prices of commodities ondisplay shelves are generally quite thin and the compartments thereforin molding of the type disclosed in my above mentioned patent should bethin and just thick enough to accommodate the tags but still perunitthem to slide properly therethrough.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide price moldinghaving compartments of the proper thickness to properly accommodate thetags while permitting them to operably slide therein.

A further problem is the difficulty sometimes encountered in guiding thetags into the chambers or compartments when first inserted thereinto andit is still another object of the invention to provide molding whereinthis problem is overcome so that insertion of the tags into thecompartments therefore is easy and quick.

It is a further object of the invention to provide molding of thischaracter that is relatively inexpensive to form and assemble.

Another object of the invention is to provide molding of this characterthat permits full insertion of the tags into the chambers therefor.

Still another object of the invention is to provide molding of thischaracter having means for substantially eliminating the entrance ofdust or other foreign material into the chambers for the tags.

The characteristics and advantages of the invention are furthersufficiently referred to in connection with the following detaileddescription of the accompanying drawings, which illustrate severalembodiments. After considering these examples, skilled persons willunderstand that many variations may be made without departing from theprinciples disclosed, and I contemplate the employment -of anystructures, arrangements or modes of operation that are properly withinthe scope of the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a shelf having items ofmerchandise thereon and molding embodying the present inventioninstalled on said shelf;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross section of said molding; and

FIG. 3 is a similar view of an alternative arrangement.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1 adisplay shelf 10 on which canned goods 12 or other merchandise, issupported and displayed. Shelf 10 has a depending, longitudinallyextending flange 14 along the front, free edge thereof. This type ofshelf is shown merely by way of example, there being various types ofshelves that are commonly used. Flange 14 provides a forward shelf edgeto which the present molding may be attached.

The molding is indicated generally at 16 and comprises a back part,indicated generally at 18, and a front part 20. This molding may be ofany suitable material, plastic being found to be well suited to meet therequirements.

The back part 18 of the molding is adapted to be attached to the frontedge of the shelf, which as shown is the flange 14. While the back part18 may be solid it is shown as comprising a front wall 22, the frontface 23 of which is concave in cross section and hence pro vides alongitudinally extending arcuate front. Wall 22 has rearwardly extendingtop and bottom flanges 24 and 26 along the top and bottom edgesrespectively, said flanges being parallel to each other and having theirrear, free edges engageable with the front edge or flange 14 of theshelf. There is also a longitudinal intermediate flange 28 extendingrearwardly from the wall 22 between the flanges 24 and 26 andsubstantially parallel therewith. This flange 28 is also adapted to haveits rear free edge engageable with the flange 14 of the shelf. Thus whenthe molding is installed the free rear edges of flanges 24, 26 and 28abut against the front edge of the shelf and the back part 18 of themolding is secured to the shelf by any suitable means. As shown in FIG.2 such means comprises spring pins 30 having heads 32. These pins are ofwell known character, there being several manufacturers having them onthe market. Installation of these is a well known process and need notbe described in detail. Suflice to say that holes are drilled orotherwise formed for reception of these pins. In FIG. 3 the attachmentmeans comprises screws 34.

The front part 20 of the molding is concave-convex in cross section withthe rear face 36 having substantially the same curvature as the frontface 23 of the back part. The front face of the front part 20 may, ofcourse, be of other configuration but the front part should betransparent. For example, there are, of course, various suitable wellknown transparent plastic materials than can be used.

The width of the part 20 is substantially less than the front face 23 ofthe back part. However, one longitudinal edge of the front part shouldbe adjacent the corresponding edge of the face 23; as shown in thedrawings it is the lower edges of the parts that are adjacent eachother. 7

The upper longitudinal edge of the front part 20 is spaced downwardly ofthe top of the back part 18 and the back part is provided with alongitudinally extending groove 40, the lower edge of said groove beingat approximately the adjacent inner longitudinally extending corner 42of the top edge 42 of the front part 20. At the upper end of the groove40 the back part 18 has a longitudinally extending flange 44 whichoverhangs the adjacent edge 42 of the front part to protect the topopening of the tag chamber or chambers 46 from the entrance of dust and/or other foreign material.

Room for the tags is provided by spacing the rear face 36 of the frontpart 20 from the front face 23 of the back part. This space may betermed a tag chamber or chambers where there is means forming separatorextending into or through said space.

While any suitable means may be used to secure the front to the rearpart and provide the proper spacing ofthe parts for the tag receivingspace or chamber, in the arrangement shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 the frontpart 20 is secured to the back part 18 by means of pins 48 of anysuitable type. It has been found that rolled spring pins are verysatisfactory, such pins being well known and commercially available andSpirol Pins are particularly suited for this purpose. Spirol Pins is theregistered trademark of the Connecticut Engineering and ManufacturingCompany, Inc., of Danielson, Connecticut.

Prior to installing, the pins holes are drilled or otherwise formed inthe parts for reception of such pins. These holes are slightly smallerin diameter than the diameter of the pins which are pressed ito theseholes.

There are top and bottom pins 48, the top pins being longitudinallyspaced apart suitable distances, the bottom pins being similarly spacedapart, and in order to provide proper spacing between the adjacent facesof the front and rear parts of the molding for the tag chamber orchambers, the holes, and hence the top and bottom pins diverge, as bestshown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

The pins 48 are shown as diverging rearwardly although they may beotherwise arranged. The parts of the molding are, of course, spacedapart the desired distance when the holes for the pins are drilled, thecorresponding holes in the front and rear parts being in axial alignmentwith each other, and after the pins are positioned therein said pinshold the parts in proper spaced relationship to each other.

In FIG. 3, spacer elements, shown as washers 50, may be provided toadditionally space the parts of the molding apart. These washers aredisposed on the pins 4 8 and are between the adjacent faces of the rearand front parts of the molding.

By having the lower edge of the groove 40 at the upper end of the tagspace or chamber 46, the said upper end of said space being termed aslot 52, the tags will be guided into said slot 52 by pushing the lowerhorizontal edge thereof into said groove and downwardly. Further, saidgroove 40 provides room for the finger tip or tips of the personinserting the tags so that said tags may be readily pushed entirely intothe tag chamber.

The invention and its attendant advantages will be understood from theforegoing description and it will be apparent that various changes maybe made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts of theinvention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof orsacrificing its material advantages, the arrangements hereinbeforedescribed being merely by way of example, and I do not wish to berestricted to the specific forms shown or uses mentioned except asdefined in the accompanying claims, wherein various portions have beenseparated for clarity of reading and not for emphasis.

I claim:

1. In price tag molding:

(A) an elongated back member having its front side concavely groovedlongitudinally, said member being adapted to be attached to a shelf forthe display of merchandise;

(B) a transparent front member disposed in the groove of said backmember, the back side of said front member having a curvaturecorresponding to the curvature of said groove;

(C) and pin means for securing said members together in spaced relationto each other to provide space for tags, said pin means comprising pinsadjacent the longitudinal edges of said molding members with the pinsadjacent one edge diverging relative to the pins adjacent the otheredge.

2. The invention defined by claim 1 wherein said pins diverge from thefront toward the back side of the mold- 3. The invention defined byclaim 1 wherein there are spacer means on said pins and disposed in thespace for tags.

4. The invention defined by claim 1 wherein the space for the tags haslongitudinally extending oppositely arranged slot openings; and alongitudinally extending projection also extending forwardly of theupper slot opening to provide a protecting dust shroud.

5. The invention defined by claim 4 wherein the pro jection is spacedupwardly of the upper edge of the front member and the rear member has alongitudinally extending finger groove and tag guide in the front sideabove said upper edge of the front member, the lower part of said fingergoove guiding tags into the upper slo-t openmg.

6. In price tag molding:

(A) an-elongated back member having its front side provided with alongitudinally extending concave groove;

(B) a transparent front member disposed in said groove of said backmember, the back side of said front member having a convex curvaturecorresponding to the curvature of said groove;

(C) means securing said members together, in spaced relation to formchamber means for snug but slidable reception of tags, said chambermeans having upper and lower slot openings, the front member having itsupper edge below the upper side of the back member;

(D) and a longitudinal flange extending forwardly from the back memberabove the upper edge of the front member and projecting over the upperslot opening.

7. The invention defined by claim 6 wherein there is a longitudinallyextending finger groove in the back member, at least a portion of saidfinger groove being above the upper slot opening and so related to theupper slot opening as to serve toguide tags inserted into said fingergroove into said upper slot opening.

8. In price tag molding:

(A) an elongated back member having its front side provided with alongitudinally extending concave groove;

(B) a transparent front member disposed in said groove of said backmember, the back side of said front member having a convex curvaturecorresponding to the curvature of said groove;

(C) means securing said members together, in spaced relation to formchamber means for snug but slidable reception of tags, said chambermeans having upper and lower slot openings, the front member having itsupper edge below the upper side of the back member;

(D) and a guide groove in the back member, said guide groove being sorelated to the upper slot opening as to guide into the upper slotopening tags inserted into said guide groove.

References Cited by the Examiner EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

1. IN PRICE TAG MOLDING; (A) AN ELONGATED BACK MEMBER HAVING ITS FRONTSIDE CONCAVELY GROOVED LONGITUDINALLY, SAID MEMBER BEING ADAPTED TO BEATTACHED TO A SHELF FOR THE DISPLAY OF MERCHANDISE; (B) A TRANSPARENTFRONT MEMBER DISPOSED IN THE GROOVE OF SAID BACK MEMBER, THE BACK SIDEOF SAID FRONT MEMBER HAVING A CURVATURE CORRESPONDING TO THE CURVATUREOF SAID GROOVE; (C) AND PIN MEANS FOR SECURING SAID MEMBERS TOGETHER INSPACED RELATION TO EACH OTHER TO PROVIDE SPACE FOR TAGS, SAID PIN MEANSCOMPRISING PINS ADJACENT THE LONGITUDINAL EDGES OF SAID MOLDING MEMBERSWITH THE PINS ADJACENT ONE EDGE DIVERGING RELATIVE TO THE PINS ADJACENTTHE OTHER EDGE.